The role of public sector libraries on enhancing public officers’ quality service delivery in Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper reports part of a study of 2007, on the assessment of public sector libraries to enhance public officers’ quality service delivery in Ethiopia. Most public officers of Ethiopia were found to have their highest qualification as first degree 125(51.4%) and most library staffs had diploma in library science 14 (27.5%). Most library staffs are in the lower level of the public service, who, mostly are not involved in policy decision-making of their organizations. Both public officers and library staffs indicated the types of library and information services provision in the public sector libraries to include; lending services 186(63.3%) and reference and information service 169(57.5%), while the least response was on abstracting service 24(8.2%). Public officers on the other hand were satisfied with the type of library and information service provision in the public sector libraries of Ethiopia. The study concluded the Libraries in the Ethiopian public sector are inadequately equipped with professionally qualified library staff to meet the professional needs of users on the provisions of library and information services in the public libraries in Ethiopia. The library staffs are not trained, and the significance of libraries’ roles are not satisfied by the users. The study advanced some recommendations and suggestions for further studies.